


For Whose Sake Do You Fight?

by Welsper



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Family, Friendship, Gen, S-Class Trials Were Never Interrupted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2019-09-07
Packaged: 2020-10-11 09:33:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20543948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Welsper/pseuds/Welsper
Summary: In the Year X784, Cana Alberona takes part in the S-Class Mage Promotion Trial to become worthy of telling her father just who she is to him.





	For Whose Sake Do You Fight?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DesertVixen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesertVixen/gifts).

“You’ve found it, then,” Makarov said as Cana approached the grave. Lucy had been right, after all. She had let Cana go alone, telling her it was her trial. Cana smiled. She hadn’t even known Lucy for that long. They weren’t even that good of friends, but Lucy hadn’t cared and offered her help right away.

“Master...”

The man stood up and smiled at her.

“Pay your respects to the First, Cana. We will be waiting for you for your final task,” he said and left.

Cana was alone in front of the First’s grave. It was so peaceful up here, so quiet. It was nothing like the bustle and laughter in the guild. Cana wondered if it had also been like that in the time of the First. What had she laughed about with her friends? Cried? Had she fought with them, like Natsu and Gray liked to do? Kept the peace with an iron fist, like Erza did? Cana would have liked to meet her, that woman who started it all.

“_Tell me. For what reason do you want to pass? For what reason do you wish for strength?”_

Cana startled and looked around when a voice spoke to her. It couldn’t be, right…? But there was no one else here. The voice came from the grave. So then this must be Master Mavis!

“If I only become an S-Class mage, then… then I can tell him...”

Cana felt her chest tighten. That was what she had come for, right? She could not show herself towards Gildarts like this. Gildarts, who was strong and beloved, whom everyone in Fairy Tail looked up to. Someone like her, having failed the trials four times, she had no right to be at his side. Wouldn’t he be disappointed? If someone like Erza was his daughter, then maybe…

But Cana could only be Cana.

“_Hm, is that your real answer, I wonder? Tell me, Cana Alberona! For whose sake do you fight?” _

Cana’s eyes widened and she looked up into that gentle glow. She narrowed her eyes, strained them against the light, but she could only barely make out a shape in the brightness. But although she could not see who it was, to have that person near filled her with a deep warmth. A feeling of belonging, of home. Tears dripped down her cheeks onto the overgrown and tattered stone beneath her. When had she started crying?

“Just to tell him… No… that’s not true, is it?” Cana said to herself. She saw them before her, all of her friends, her guild. Her family. It wasn’t just Gildarts! It was all of them. She had never truly been alone. She clutched Lucy’s card in her hands. Her, too. Without a doubt in her heart, Lucy had agreed to help her. She hadn’t asked about the dangers, or questioned Cana, told her she couldn’t do it. She hadn’t held Cana failing all these times before against her. She had become Cana’s partner in the trials because that was what it was to be guild mates. To be family.

So for Lucy’s sake, too!

"First! Mavis Vermillion! I want to become an S-Class Mage to protect those I love! I want to have the strength to keep everyone safe! Like Erza, and Mira and… like him, too!”

Cana reached out towards that blinding light, gritting her teeth as it pushed her back. But this pain was nothing she couldn’t bear. All for the sake of protecting her family! If she could not pass this trial for herself, then for all of them!

“_In that case, your heart is true. I have bestowed Fairy Glitter upon you. Someone like you can surely wield it, if you wear your heart on your sleeve! Go forth, and show the world your true feelings.”_

Cana looked down on her arm, covered in an emblem she had never seen before. But deep within her heart, she already knew. This was the mark of one of Fairy Tail’s ancient magics, this was the mark of Fairy Glitter. If Mavis had deemed her worthy of carrying it… then Cana would not disappoint her. She would show her comrades what she was, that she too, had the strength to protect them, that they could rely upon her. And that man, too.

“Thank you, Master Mavis.”

When she returned from the grave, everyone was already waiting for her.

“Your bond with your partner brought you this far, but now it is up to you. Show us that you have the strength and heart necessary,” Makarov said.

“I’ll be your final test, Cana,” Gildarts said. “It is my honor.”

“Eh?” Cana knew there was a look of disbelief on her face. She had come here to tell him the truth finally and now she would have to fight him? But still… they were mages, weren’t they? Then Cana would show him what a mage she had become. All by herself!

“Ooooh, Cana is gonna fight Gildarts, I’m getting all fired up! Gildarts, fight me too, no, Cana, you too!” Lucy hit Natsu over the head and pulled him down to sit next to her.

“This is their fight, Natsu. Your team lost already, don’t get involved!”

“Yeah Salamander, if you wanna fight, fight me!” Gajeel shouted.

“But we lost already too, Gajeel,” Levy sighed. Erza glared at the shouting dragon slayers and they settled down, not wanting to face her wrath.

“Fight like a real man, Cana!” Elfmann shouted and pushed his fist towards Cana.

“Show us that you are truly worthy,” Fried said.

“Good luck, Cana,” Mira shouted with that bright smile of hers on her lips. Everyone believed in her. Cana wouldn’t disappoint them.

“Show me your strength then!”

Gildarts was grinning and it was alright to use that, right? In order to win.

“_Gather! O river of light that's guided by the fairies!”_

Power coursed through her, like she had never known before. It filled her entire body and burst through and it was so, so much. Barely being able to be tamed by her. But she would do it! The First had given this to her, entrusted it to her, to she who she really was. She was Cana Alberona! And she would become S-Class, this time for sure!

“_Shine! In order to perish the fangs of evil!”_

Gildarts took a stance and she knew that one. She wouldn’t let him!

“_Crushing Evil, Spreading the Truth!” _She heard him shout and she grit her teeth as she felt his Crush magic trying to take hold. Not this time!

She grabbed her wrist with her other hand, steadying it. This sort of power, to control it took her all. It was so, so much. Now Cana understood why it was one of the three Great Fairy Magics. She would learn to control it, to one day use it in a real battle, one where her friends needed her. Now, she would show them all she was worthy of it. And her father, too.

“**Empyrean!”**

“**Fairy Glitter!”**

And a brightness exploded around them.

When it dissipated, Cana was still standing. Her eyes widened as she saw Gildarts sitting there in front of her, raising his hand.

“Yo. Got me good,” he said and there was still a smile on his face.

“Third! Cana wins!” He shouted and Cana looked from him to Makarov. The guild master regarded her with a fond smile.

“Cana Alberona, I proclaim you an S-Class mage of Fairy Tail.”

Cana was crying again, freely and loudly, shouting her happiness and sorrow that finally fell off her into the air. Lucy was crying with her and her friends. There were smiles on their faces and Cana would do anything, everything to forever keep them there. This is what it meant to be a mage of Fairy Tail. To walk among your friends and fight with them.

For this sake, Cana had become S-Class.

“Wooo! Cana did it!”

“Manly!”

“Congratulations!”

“I knew you could do it!”

Her friends were swarming her, shouting and laughing and Cana toppled over when they jumped on her, hugging her. They were laying there, in a big pile and she was laughing, laughing so hard. Gray and Natsu were already fighting again, over who would become S-Class next time, and this time Gajeel joined in and Cana was looking forward to blocking their path next time, to test if they too, had what it took. Cana was sure they had.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Gildarts sitting there and they smiled at each other. She could tell him now, right?

“Congratulations, Cana,” Lucy said as they soaked in the medicinal bath. Even with Fairy Glitter granted to her, to fight her father, to pass the trials… it had been a big strain on her. On both of them. But Lucy had stayed by her side

“Ah, but now you have to keep your promise, right? You have to tell him. Come on now, Cana! This is what we came here to do. I would have made you either way, whether you won or not!”

Cana rubbed her arm, too afraid to meet Lucy’s eyes. She watched the leaves flow on the water’s surface, drifting along peacefully. They gave her her strength back, that she would use to defend her friends. Even her father, should it come to that. But to use this strength to speak the truth… it was another matter entirely. But Mavis had told her, right? She could be strong, if she wore her heart on her sleeve. It was time for the truth.

“Right.”

And there he was. Lucy shooed Natsu away, and she was still looking out for Cana, wasn’t she?

“What’s wrong?” Gildarts asked her.

“It’s the reason… I came to this guild… I came to search for my father.”

“That’s the first I’ve heard of that… Is that what you wanted to talk about? Was your father a part of Fairy Tail?”

“Y… yes...”

Cana’s fists tightened. Courage, Cana. Lucy believed in her. Mavis had believed in her. And she would believe in herself! Even if Gildarts might not care, even they could never get those years back. She would tell him.

“It’s you, Gildarts.”

“Eh? Eeeh?!”

Gildarts’ face fell.

“Lots of different things happened… I’ve never been able to tell you before...”

Gildarts started out of his sitting spot. His eyes were wide, the shock written plainly on his face. So he had really never even suspected, had he?

“Yeah… it’s difficult to accept, isn’t it?”

“Whose kid are you!!? Sara… Naomi… Claire… Feena… Marie… Eliza… No, no! The hair color is wrong! Emma, Lila, Jean… Sydney… Michelle… Stephanie...”

“Papa! Just how many women have you been with?!” Cana shouted, angrily. This guy, really! All her life, she had wanted to tell him! This was who her mother had sent her to live with? He probably didn’t even remember her mother! And for his sake, she had…

“I-I got it! It’s Sylvria, right? You look just like her!”

This man was hopeless!

“Aah, I can’t take it anymore! These trashy women got with my dad and are my parents?!”

If only her mother had better taste! To pick someone like this…

“Anyways, that’s what happened… and that’s how it is,” Cana said and turned from this man on the ground, still mumbling about what kind of woman her mother could have been. Like he even remembered her name!

“That’s all I wanted to say. That’s it! It’s not like I expected you to be part of my family now or something! We can just keep on like we’ve been-”

Cana’s eyes widened as she felt strong arms wrap around her. All her life, she had waited for this. For these arms to hold her, for this man to acknowledge her. She had never thought she would find it. But now, it was almost too late for this, wasn’t it? They couldn’t go back to being a normal father and daughter. This man, he probably didn’t even know how to be a father. But that was alright. Cana had only wanted him to know.

“You’re Cornelia’s child… no doubt about it.”

“Let go,” Cana said quietly. He was holding on. With that strength he had, as an S-class mage of Fairy Tail. Like her. But now, he was trembling.

“Why didn’t you say anything until now?”

How could she have? She hadn’t been worthy.

"I thought... you'd be disappointed. With people like Erza and Gray and Natsu around and here I am, your daughter, failing the S-Class Trials four times..."

"That's not true at all!" Gildarts held her tighter. "Your are my daughter, no matter what strength you have. I am very proud of you for becoming S-Class, but even if you had no magic at all... you're my child, Cana."

Cana sniffled.

"It must have been so hard to say it… with everything that’s happened ‘til now. Cornelia was the one woman I truly loved. She was also the only woman I ever married. I was completely fixated on work and I left that love 18 years ago. I’d just been following where the wind had taken me...”

Cana wished that wind had taken him to her. That that wind had brought her this courage before, to tell him who he was. Who she was, to him.

“But I had no idea I had a child. I’m sorry… I had no idea...”

“It’s okay. I was the one who kept it from you. It might have been wrong for me to decide that on my own, but now it feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my chest. But I always… I always wanted to tell you.”

“I had a daughter… this close to me...”

“Knock it off. I didn’t bring this up to make you take responsibility or anything. We can just act like we always do.”

But was that what she really wanted? After all these years… she still wanted her father to be there. She had found him now, but it was too late to be a family.

“Just… I’ll say this one time. I’m glad I go to meet you… dad.”

And Gildarts was crying, crying for her. And for him. And Cana was so, so sorry that she had never said it before. She hadn’t needed to become an S-class mage, did she? She wrapped her arms around him finally, returning his embrace, the embrace she had longed for for so, so long.

Ah, perhaps she was still a child after all… But that was alright. She could be a child. And he could be a father.

“Kana! You don’t need to be sad anymore… I’ll never let that happen again, let you be alone! From now on, if I go on a job, or if I go drinking… we’ll always be together.”

Cana chuckled at that.

“That sounds a little annoying, doesn’t it?”

“It’s just… let me have the right to love you.”

Tears flowed freely from their eyes, their feelings bare for all to see, for each other to see. Among friends and family of Fairy Tail, there should be no secrets. And Cana was so glad that this one was finally lifted off her chest.

He didn’t need to be given that right by her. He had always had it.

To be a mage of Fairy Tail was to love.

And Cana would always, always defend everyone who loved.


End file.
